Arts

The Wool Bay water tank and shed mural was announced the best rural art in the country at the 2023 Australian Street Art Awards ... "This incredible mural is a testament to the creativity and talent of our local artists, and it has truly transformed our community," Yorke Peninsula Council mayor Darren Braund said.

Horsham Regional Art Gallery (HRAG) is proud to announce our first major exhibition of 2024, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). Know My Name: Australian Women Artists tells a new story of Australian art.

More music lovers from across Victoria are on track to experience local music gigs like no other, with the epic live music and tourism extravaganza SOUND TRACKS set to transform Shepparton, Rochester and Echuca next month ... The event, presented by OK Motels, brings together live music and regional hospitality – boosting local jobs, businesses and attracting more visitors to regional Victoria.

Have you heard fungi talk? Have you felt the forest hum? Understory  is a magical, interactive theatre adventure created for children by Roundabout Theatre, springing to life in the Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens this April school holidays...

Thirty-four public art experiences have been recognised as the best in the country for art-loving visitors at the Australian Street Art Awards. Designed by lead artist Peter Ryan and brought to life at night with the aid of Illuminart, the silo art was announced as the Best of the Best after taking out the Gold Award in the Mega Mural category and also the Best Street Art Experience in NSW gong.

Bendigo Art Gallery’s latest blockbuster exhibition, Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925, will open this Saturday ... Journey through the streets of historic Paris, brought to life in more than 170 works of art and artisanal objects from the renowned collection of the Musée Carnavalet – History of Paris.

Ten people have got together to bring you  Fanny’s Knickers. Most of the 10 have never acted before yet decided to join the Village Players to perform the slapstick, period melodrama three times at Club Evans.

In a much-anticipated event, Baringhup Hall is set to resonate with the melodies of folk music ... welcoming an international lineup featuring Icelandic folk singer Svavar Knútur, Australian folk duo The Maes, and Tarrengower’s own Grim Fawkner.  The doors open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start, marking a first for Mount Alexander Shire under the auspices of the Festival of Small Halls...

Going behind the scenes of River Daze on Saturday afternoon, I was fortunate to be able to have a quick chat with headline act, Shannon Noll, just before sound check ... For Noll, who was born and bred in the country NSW town of Condobolin, it was his first time in Barham and being a country boy, he was prepared for an enthusiastic crowd.

Congratulations and thanks to artists Jordan and Steve who designed and painted this beautiful mural for Allora. It has become another special attraction for the Best little Town on the Downs.

The March long weekend brings with it many entertaining events throughout the region. Just a hop, skip and a jump away, will be Beulah’s not-to-be-missed Wide Open Spaces Festival; a weekend of music, art, food and fun at the Beulah Recreation Reserve.

The Lost Trades Fair is a fantastic celebration of craftsmanship, ancient arts, heritage crafts, rare trades and knowledge passed down through generations. Come along to the Bendigo Racecourse this weekend ... and see the tools, traditions, techniques and trade  secrets on show.

Newstead Open Studios art trail is a locally inspired and crafted event, held annually since 2015 and based in and around Newstead, in the heart of Victoria’s goldfields region. This, our tenth-year, features 10 studios with 17 artists participating.

Renowned Sculpture Artist, Andrew Whitehead was in Coolamon recently to install his work 'For Keeps' in Cowabbie Street ... "For Keeps" shows three children playing marbles and is inspired by the paintings of country towns in Australia by D'arcy Doyle.

The Hush Foundation, whose mission is to transform healthcare cultures with kindness and the arts, is delighted to launch its inaugural Kindness in Healthcare Writing Prize, in memory of the late author and doctor Kath O’Connor. Kath was a General Practitioner in Central Victoria and had just finished the second draft of her beautifully crafted novel, Inheritance (Affirm Press, 2023) when she died of Ovarian Cancer in 2019 at the age of 48.

What happens when a bush concert is facing cancellation, and how can Easter Bilby help? That’s the storyline in ‘Banjo Frog’s Concert Spectacular’, a new children’s book released by Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia in conjunction with Wakefield Press.

Jenny Pollard. After four days of full-on activity, Charlton has surely earned a place in the spotlight for community endeavour as both a host and in partnership with the burgeoning OK Motels Contemporary Music and Arts Small Town Festival, which played out last weekend ... with the fun and innovative  activities like “Marry Your Friends – A Celebration of Holy Mate-rimony”...

Daisy Baker. As locations across Tasmania are being transformed into immersive art spaces for Mona Foma, an independent gym in Launceston is preparing to host world-class circus professionals for two adults-only evenings this week. Tasmanian circus company ROOKE will present DEKOOR in Method Plus Action gym, playfully exploring gym culture, training and voyeurism.

Michelle Daw. Stenhouse Bay and a rising full moon formed the stunning backdrop to the on-Country preview of Adelaide Festival production, Guuranda, at the weekend ... It tells the creation stories of Guuranda/Yorke Peninsula and is led by artistic director and Narungga /Kaurna theatre-maker Jacob Boehme.

“I’m surrounded by a thriving arts community and a number of really good potters. I think artists here are inspired by the environment and pottery allows you to literally be in touch with the elements. Being in a community that appreciates, fosters and values artistic pursuits gives you courage to express yourself artistically; it lifts you up and celebrates what you do without the hindrance of competition": Rachel Falls Williams.

A magpie with a broken leg is featured on a new mural at Old Bonalbo School. The magpie scores food all around the village. “Everyone thinks the magpie is their magpie,” a resident said.